54 years ago in 1970, three gallerists in Basel, Switzerland, put on an international art fair featuring 90 galleries from 10 countries. That fair continues to this day. After over 30 successful years, the Art Basel production company decided to expand to America.
Coming to America
An inaugural sister fair was to be held in Miami Beach in December of 2001. The New York Times called it “What is sure to be the hottest contemporary art fair in America.” They got that right!
But then…9/11. Concern over the possibility of terrorist attacks, and the impossibility of getting reasonable insurance coverage, resulted in the fair being postponed until 2002. That December, Art Basel Miami Beach (ABMB) presented 160 galleries from 23 countries. This December, about a week from now, the fair’s 2024 edition will open with 286 galleries from 38 countries. The fair’s footprint in the Miami Beach Convention Center has grown too. I recall when it occupied Exhibit Halls A and B. It has doubled to 491,651 square feet of floor space in Halls ABCD. Speaking of feet, you will walk, and walk, and walk; so wear the right shoes.
Five years ago, ABMB launched Meridians to present artworks that are “monumental,” the art world’s way of saying “really big.”
After walking down aisles of gallery booths for few hours, it is a nice break to head to the north end of the exhibit hall to see artworks so big you can “circumnavigate” them, my way of saying “walk all around.”
Tickets, Please
A day ticket cost $10 in 2002. This year, $85. Who thought only grocery prices are higher. But $85 is a bargain, considering you could buy a Premium+ Discovery ticket starting at $3,500. For that amount, you can “Engage with the art world, discover emerging artists and enter exclusive artistic circles,” according to the website. For the first time, this year you can buy your way into the Vernissage (fancy French word for a private viewing for VIPs), and get in early each public day. Now if $3,500 is too steep, don’t worry, there are lesser premium tickets at $2,500, $1,500, $650, and $120. Whatever you choose, don’t spend all your fair money on the ticket. After all, you will want to have some pocket change (okay, $35) for a glass of Ruinart champagne from one of the strolling carts.
Why Miami Beach?
Miami Beach would provide a portal to Latin American art and collectors. And with temperatures that can hit 80 degrees, it would offer a respite from winter in Europe. Miami is also home to a number of collectors who courted Art Basel with offers of opening their homes and collections to fair visitors.
I recall one of my favorite Miami collectors, Carlos de la Cruz, telling about the time he was in his shower, heard a knock on his bedroom door, and found a visitor wanting to continue his tour of the collection. The generosity of Miami collectors has resulted in at least five private museums open to the public. We’ll learn more about Miami’s private/public museums in another article.
The Early Years
In 2007 I read a couple of sentences about an art show in Miami Beach in a favorite design magazine, Metropolitan Home. Looking at the website, I discovered I could attend talks about artists, museums, and collectors. Starved for conversation about art, I bought my airplane ticket, booked my hotel, and flew to Miami and have been going ever since. To this day, my favorite part of ABMB is the talks. I’ll tell you more about them soon.
When I first attended, very few people had ever heard of Art Basel. Sure, a few celebrities came to town; I’ll admit it was fun to see Jay Z and Beyoncé getting into their limo in Miami’s Design District. But the focus was entirely on art. And not just visual art.
Back in the day, ABMB nights celebrated other art forms with programs like “Art Loves Film,” “Art Loves Music,” and “Art Loves Architecture.” I enjoyed these as a nice break from booth-walking all day.
There were many memorable moments, from a conversation with architect Sir David Adjaye to a screening of the movie “Herb and Dorothy” about an unlikely art collecting couple I saw that night; I’ll tell the story of this cute elderly couple one day.
I must admit, though, I saw an agonizingly long and boring performance art piece at an Art Loves event; even its location on the beach couldn’t save it.
The most memorable events tended to be Art Loves Music on the beach, with acts including Iggy Pop. The grand prize goes to the night when, at the end of a band’s performance, the singer stripped off all her clothes and ran from the stage into the ocean.
More to Come
We’ll continue looking at the changes in ABMB and Miami itself over the years, going from an inside baseball event to one that is widely known even in pop culture. But right now, I better do some packing.
To learn more about Art Basel Miami Beach, check out “Get Ready for Art Basel Miami Beach 2024!” and “Plan Your Days Now for Art Basel & Miami Art Week.”
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